Hans Velten Reisch posted a sign in his Flensburg shop banning Jews, triggering widespread condemnation.
The note read: “Jews are banned from here! Nothing personal. No antisemitism. Just can’t stand you.”
Police removed the sign Wednesday evening “to prevent danger” and avoid escalating tensions, spokesperson Philipp Renoncourt said.
Reporters noted the message remained visible inside the shop on a wall opposite the entrance.
The case sparked heated discussion in Flensburg and online, with many condemning the discriminatory content.
Some compared it to Nazi-era practices, while others called for boycotts or public protests.
By Thursday morning, protesters smeared the shop window with slogans such as “Nazis out.”
Officials and Politicians Condemn the Message
Mayor Fabian Geyer said the sign “reminds us of Germany’s darkest history” and has no place in the city.
He added it constituted “a clear statement against Jews in our society.”
The Flensburg Greens called the notice “a clear expression of antisemitism” mocking Jewish history and attacking democracy.
SPD state parliament member Kianusch Stender stressed the city must “stand against antisemitism at all times.”
Former mayor Simone Lange reported the incident to the police and criticized the shop publicly.
Federal Commissioner Felix Klein called the sign “antisemitism in its purest form” and demanded intervention.
Education Minister Karin Prien condemned antisemitism and praised authorities for filing charges.
MEP Rasmus Andresen described the notice as “inhuman” and urged EU-level protection from discrimination.
Police confirmed receiving at least four complaints, which prosecutors now review for potential incitement charges.
Shop Owner Defends Actions
Hans Velten Reisch, 60, has run his Duburger Straße shop since 2016, selling technical manuals for vehicles.
He rejected claims of extremism, saying, “I’m not a Nazi” and describing himself as politically moderate.
Reisch criticized modern language use, claiming society labels too many people as “racist” or “Nazi.”
He also criticized politics, bureaucracy, media coverage, and Western policy toward Israel, calling it “hypocrisy.”
Reisch said he refuses service to customers he believes support Israel’s war but welcomes Jews who oppose it.
He admitted surprise at the public reaction, saying, “I never thought it would make such a big splash.”
Reisch insisted the sign targeted his immediate environment and maintained, “I’m not inciting hatred, I’m just saying what I think.”
